Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn defeated India’s Lakshya Sen in the final to win the German Open Super 300 men’s singles title on Sunday.
German Open Super 300: Lakshya Sen settles for silver medal after losing final to Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Twitter photo)
HIGHLIGHTS
- Lakshya Sen lost to Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the men’s final
- Lakshya went down to Vitidsarn in 58 minutes 18:21, 15:21
- Sen struggled with his movements due to blisters on his left foot
India’s Lakshya Sen had to settle for silver after losing the men’s final to Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn at the German Open 2022 on Sunday. Sen suffered an 18:21, 15:21 loss to world No. 20 Thailand in 58 minutes at the BWF World Tour Super 300 event in Mülheim.
Lakshya Sen had some good performances earlier on Saturday in Mülheim as the Indian shuttler outclassed world no. 1 and reigning world champion Viktor Axelsen in the semi-finals in 3 games in a match spanning over an hour. Sen showed his exemplary defensive skills against the aggressive Dane, who hit back after losing the first game.
The two players gave their best for last as they fought tooth and nail in the dramatic decider. It turned out to be a battle of nerves as the rallies grew longer and both fought for every point. From 2:2 it was 4:4 and then 6:6 before Axelsen took the lead with 15:8. However, Sen kept his composure to win the final game 22-20 and record his first win over the Olympic champion.
Earlier in the tournament, Sen had outclassed Indonesia’s highly rated Anthony Ginting in straight games before beating compatriot HS Prannoy in the quarterfinals.
Sen had a good run at the BWF circuit after agonizingly missing out on a spot for the Tokyo Olympics. The Almora shuttle won a bronze medal in its first appearance at the World Championships last year.
Sen in particular will be one of India’s best hopes as he heads into the All England Open next week with a string of positive results.
